Gravity stand bike rack

[Catrin]

I am moving October 30th into a nicer apartment that is also in a location that will allow me to actually ride from my apt to country roads (across the street from Eagle Creek Court for those familiar with Indianapolis).

The apartment is nice, and will have new carpet that is quite light in color. With winter coming I am examining my bike storage options that might help save the carpet. I will have no entrance way and my front door opens directly to outside.

I am considering this gravity bike stand (http://www.orsracksdirect.com/delta-cycle-michelangelo-home-bike-storage-rack.html) that requires no attachment to the wall. I am hoping there will be room in the bedroom for this stand and then I could simply place a rug beneath my bike to catch anything - and carry my LHT from the front door to my bedroom.

Has anyone tried this stand? I am also wondering if it is sturdy enough to do minor maintenance to the bike such as cleaning the chain.

[OakLeaf]

I don't have that one, but I have a wall stand, and the arms aren't long enough to rotate the cranks unless you took the inside pedal off. I'd be surprised if any stand is much different, since the longer the arms (levers), the greater the angular force on the stand.

And I don't know how neat you are about cleaning the chain, but I don't much care about my carpet and I would never do that inside. Splatter everywhere...

As far as getting your bike from the door to the stand, how do you feel about a carpet runner? Those are great for high-traffic lanes anyway, if you don't mind the look.

[withm]

I have that stand and it's great for two bikes. Be sure you put your lighter bike up top, and that you actually have the strength and range of motion to do that. When I had my shoulder surgery last year my top bike did not move for about 8 months since there was no way I could get it up or down.

You might be able to rotate the pedals slowly and carefully if you raise the bike up high enough to clear the "feet" which are angled out. With only one bike you could do that. But it would probably be wobbily. It would work to inspect your tires, but as Oakleaf says, you would not want to do any chain cleaning inside. Grease, lube, grime, dirt will fly everywhere. Chain cleaning is a chore best done outside.

Before I got a work stand, I was able to attach my (car) bike rack to my deck rails with nylon straps and bungy cords and work on it there. It's a very old Allen trunk bike rack and quite versatile, but it was a backbreaking height and the work stand is clearly the way to go.

[Catrin]

I had not thought about the mess.... it is true that I've done this on the patio before so will just find a place to do it outside.

Glad to hear that it is a good stand though, and right now I only have one bike... For now :)

[Blueberry]

I have this one (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1023853_-1___) and have for years (actually, we have 2). They have survived a 105 lb dog and his tail, and the bikes can be far enough out that the cranks turn freely. Plus, it isn't exactly up against the wall, so no damage can be done (we have old plaster walls).

Good luck and congrats on the new place!

[oxysback]

We have a couple of these racks in the garage. I like them because they're adjustable. :)

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/184-2337561-0350839?asin=B000077CPK&AFID=Froogle_df&LNM=%7CB000077CPK&CPNG=sports&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=B000077CPK&ref=tgt_adv_XSG10001

[sgtiger]

I have this one (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1023853_-1___) and have for years (actually, we have 2). They have survived a 105 lb dog and his tail, and the bikes can be far enough out that the cranks turn freely. Plus, it isn't exactly up against the wall, so no damage can be done (we have old plaster walls).

Good luck and congrats on the new place!

+1

I have a Supergo branded stand that is identical to that one. I purchased it when we were living in an apartment. It was great for storage and it's sturdy enough to work on bikes. I put one of those commercial mats, like they use in the entryways of grocery stores, to protect the carpet and an inexpensive throw rug over that to hide the mat. Anytime the rug got dingy, I could remove it pretty easily to wash it.

[Cataboo]

I can't remember if you had a trainer or were just borrowing one last year. I have a rubber mat underneath my trainer in a corner of a room. The rubber mat protects my light colored carpet and the trainer gets used to store the bike or to do any maintenance or repair work that I have.

I would say get something to protect the carpet at the entry way of your apartment - whether it be a rubber backed rug or something like that. I pretty often carry my bike in and leave it stashed in my foyer so that i'm not carrying a dripping or dirty bike immediately through the house. It gives me time to take my shoes off (I pretty much always take my shoes off on coming into the house to try to protect the carpets and wood floors)

[OakLeaf]

Here's (http://sportssolutions.net/inc/sdetail/381) the one I have. It's probably a two-person job to install, but it just uses pressure - no holes in wall, floor or ceiling, and the oak version is very attractive.

[Catrin]

Here's (http://sportssolutions.net/inc/sdetail/381) the one I have. It's probably a two-person job to install, but it just uses pressure - no holes in wall, floor or ceiling, and the oak version is very attractive.

It is quite attractive! Can you spin the crank on the bottom bike?

[ny biker]

I used to have an oak gravity rack that I got from Colorado Cyclist back in the day (they no longer sell it). There were holes drilled in it to screw it to the wall for added stability, but I never needed that -- it was very stable just leaning against the wall.

It was not possible to turn the pedals while the bikes were in the rack. To clean and lube the chain, I just turned the bike upside down, either out on the balcony or right in the living room. I hate my carpet and am planning to get rid of it in a couple of years, so I don't care very much about making a mess on it. But I sometimes use the mat that I put under the bike when it's in the indoor trainer to protect the rug, and I used to have an old shower curtain (never used for the shower) that worked as a drop cloth, too.

I wipe the bike down before bringing it inside if I've been caught in the rain or riding on dirt or mud.

Way back in the day, when I had a trunk rack on the car for transporting my bikes, I would sometimes use that as a workstand when cleaning the bike.

[OakLeaf]

It is quite attractive! Can you spin the crank on the bottom bike?

No, not with the pedals on. I actually do have a work stand, but it's kind of a hassle to drag it out of its space in the garage, so I only use it for detailing and bigger jobs like replacing the cables. To clean the chain I just lean the bike up against an outside wall, and for minor adjustments I grab the seat tube and hold the rear wheel off the ground. That might be easier with my bike than with your LHT though...

[Catrin]

....To clean the chain I just lean the bike up against an outside wall, and for minor adjustments I grab the seat tube and hold the rear wheel off the ground. That might be easier with my bike than with your LHT though...


Yeah, it isn't very easy to do that :o so I just turn it upside down but it would be nice to eventually have something that I can use as a stand.